Mobile and wireless inventory management sound like an easy enough task, but what do you need to keep track of? And where do you store all that information?

Our telecom auditing teams manage mobileenvironments of various sizes, and we hit up our operations experts for some best practices. First we’ll go over ideas for wireless and mobile inventory management (cell phones, smartphones, tablets), then we’ll get into wireline (landline telephones).

Mobile Inventory Management Best Practices

Maintain accurate device status and purpose (who has it, why do they have it, what do they use it for)

Monitor procurement/ordering activity to anticipate changes(stay out of silos – keep track of what is being bought, for whom, and why)

Additional key data points to track:

Plan information

Device types

Features

Usage

Now that you know what to do, you need a place to keep all this data. Spreadsheets work, but they are pretty 1995. In 2014, most TEM firms and TEM managers are using applications designed specifically for telecom inventory tracking. Valicom offers Clearview, a SaaS telecom management software, and there are other choices available. Matching a platform to your specific mobile inventory needs is well worth the time.

Want a bigger picture on the benefits of inventory management for IT, telecom and finance? Check out our brief on “Why Telecom Inventory Management matters”